


Truth and Consequences

by Ana (Anafandom)



Series: Tony Stark Is Not Alone [4]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Civil War Team Iron Man, F/M, Gen, Not Steve Friendly, Not Wanda Friendly, Social Media, Team Tony, Tony makes videos, Tony talks a lot, actions have consequences, not team Cap friendly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-07
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-12 21:55:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,821
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29267586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anafandom/pseuds/Ana
Summary: Tony does some more videos – including a reaction video to Rogers’s foray into social media. There are, as expected, consequences for the people involved.
Relationships: Pepper Potts/Tony Stark
Series: Tony Stark Is Not Alone [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1831903
Comments: 388
Kudos: 932
Collections: Post-Civil War Media Fallout (Team Iron Man), Teamtonystark1





	1. Q & A

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys. Hope everyone is well. 
> 
> Today is my AO3 author anniversary. 4 years. Go me! :)
> 
> I intended for this series to be only oneshots (though, apparently, not short ones, since I seem incapable of writing short stuff anymore), then I realized that this one works better with chapters. Still want to keep it all Tony POV though. I hope you like it.

Tony walked into the lab with a spring in his step.

“Fri, fire up my stuff.”

“Of course, Boss.”

Friday seemed to be finding her feet, as it were. She was growing more and more every day, gaining more confidence to act on her own, anticipating his needs and seeing to them without him having to say anything. He was really proud of her, and he made sure to tell her so often.

“Thanks, baby girl, you’re the best.”

He worked for a while on various projects. The braces he’d created for Rhodey to help his recovery were almost ready to begin testing on other patients. The tech side was mostly done, only a few adjustments left to go, he was just waiting for legal to finish the paperwork for the clinical study they were doing in partnership with two medical institutions in New York. It was good work, and Tony was very proud of it. After so much time building stuff to destroy, he was glad to be focusing on things that would help people.

The Accords were coming along nicely too. The newest revisions were done and ready to be voted on by the Committee. The hunt for new people to fill up the Avengers roaster was ongoing, and Tony was confident that this time they would get actual competent people, and not just hero-wannabes and people with an inflated sense of self.

The preparations for the Stark Expo were going pretty well too, and they had a record of subscriptions for companies and independent researchers from all over the world. It was going to be awesome.

“Fri, how’re things on social media?” he asked once he was done with all he needed to check on.

“Pretty good, Boss. Still lots of positivity and love for Iron Man,” she reported, sounding happy. “You’ve gotten six more requests for interviews from various news channels and magazines. What should I reply?”

“I’m not available at the moment.”

He had considered doing an interview, but then decided the videos were good enough. They were also way more fun to do, and safer too. In the last couple of months, he had received a few death threats. It was nothing new, and Tony didn’t really take any of them seriously. It was probably just Cap fanatics trying to look more impressive than they were. He had turned them all to the police and let them investigate it, but nothing had panned out so far. Still, Pepper (and everyone else) had insisted that he be careful and avoid going out alone, and he was doing his best to comply.

“Fri, get the camera ready.”

“Whenever you want to start, Boss.”

They had a good routine by now. Friday had become quite good at editing the videos, adding background when needed and even including sound effects on occasion. It seemed that she was having as much fun as him with them, and Tony was glad for it. There had been far too much gloom in his life, and now he wanted happy things.

“Good morning and welcome to another episode of Tony Stark Rambles On, this time with a special Q&A edition.” He really should come up with a name for the video series, though he kinda liked coming up with something different every now and then. Maybe he should put it to a vote or something. It seemed that people really liked interactive stuff.

“So, people have been asking a lot of questions in the comments here, and I thought it was time I answered some of them. First of all, no, I don’t read all the comments. I’m sorry, guys, I simply don’t have the time for that, what with my job and… everything else I do on a daily basis. I do have people who read them, though, and they give me the highlights. There are some frequent questions and comments that I’d like to address, so here we are.”

He’d been planning on doing this for a while, and now seemed a good a time as any. He hadn’t exactly set out to be an internet sensation, but he was already famous, so it was no surprise that it had happened. Aside from being fun, the videos were also useful. Never in his life had he enjoyed such popularity – and in a good way. People _liked_ him, and they liked the videos. So Tony wanted to keep making people happy, and get some important messages out there as well. Answering some questions seemed like a good way to do that.

“Before that, though, I have a couple of announcements.

“One: I’ve talked to Rhodey and Vision and they’ve agreed do a couple of videos with me, and they’ll be answering a few questions as well. So, there’s a link here for you guys to submit your questions. We haven’t set a date yet, but I’ll let you know when we do.”

Tony was really looking forward to that. Vision was a bit apprehensive about it, but Tony was sure he was going to do just fine. He was nice and sweet, and the public was going to love him. They were just waiting on Rhodey to clear up some time so they could set it up.

“Two: I’m in the process of updating the whole website to be more organized. Aside from the YouTube channel with the videos, there will be other stuff such as links to charity organizations and other things of interest. There will also be a discussion forum and a place to submit questions to make it easier to keep track of them. Plus a few more things I’m still working on.”

It had occurred to him that he could do more than make semi-silly videos. Since realizing that he was, in fact, something of a role model for many people, he figured he had an obligation to do something positive with his fame for his audience. Thus he was planning on adding links to things like youth programs, helplines and other resources, as well as setting up a discussion forum where people could help each other. He was going to embrace being a hero as Tony Stark, not just Iron Man.

“Three: Stark Expo is, as you might know, officially a go. Keep an eye out here for a chance to win tickets to attend, with travel and accommodations for those outside of New York.

“Four: I had so much fun doing the songs for Christmas that I’ve decided to do it again, but this time more professionally, with a band and everything. As of now, I’m thinking or doing five or six songs, which will be packaged together and available for purchase. All proceedings from that will go to charity. More information on that will be coming shortly, as soon as we sort all of the details.”

That was something else Tony was excited about. He’d never thought singing could be so much fun. Plus, he had no idea people were going to be so supportive about it and praise his singing ability. Pepper had joked that he was going to start receiving offers from record labels – which he actually had. Of course, they were trying to capitalize on his fame, but it had been a little bit nice anyway. He didn’t want to be _that_ professional, though. He didn’t want that kind of pressure to be good. It was meant to be _fun_ , not a commercial success. So he’d decided that whatever money he could make of that – and he was going to charge the bare minimum – would go to charity. After all, it wasn’t like the needed to make a profit from it anyway. He’d even managed to convince Pepper to try a duet with him.

“All right, that’s it. Now, on to the questions.

“Devon from Connecticut asked if I have any plans to hire more Avengers. Well, Devon, _I_ ’m not the one who is going to do the hiring. We now have a whole new system for getting new people into the Avengers, and I’m not in charge of it, though I’ll likely be consulted at some point. The Accords Committee is handling that, so you need to keep an eye out for announcements from them. They are working on it, but it might take a while. I’ll tell you guys any news on that front as soon as I can, ok? It’s also a good idea for everyone to check out the Accords website, so you can find out more information about how the Avengers are going to operate from now on. There’s a code of conduct document and everything. It’s worth reading.

“Andrea from North Carolina asked about my favorite band and song. I don’t know if I have a favorite song. There are a lot of good ones that I like for different reasons and for different things, you know? I mostly listen to music when I’m working, and it’s mostly rock and heavy metal, the stuff I listened to in my youth – a very long time ago now.” He smiled ruefully. “So my favorites bands are Iron Maiden, Led Zepelin and AC/DC. I’m not well versed in more modern stuff, I’m afraid.”

He rambled on a bit more about his musical tastes, sharing a few (he hoped) amusing stories from his college days.

“Sharon from California asked if I can surf, since I used to live in Malibu. Yes, I can. I used to do it a lot when I was younger and needed a break from work. I wasn’t great at it, but not terrible, either. It’s been quite a while since I’ve done it, though. I’ve gotten way too busy in the last few years – not to mention older. But I’m more conscious of the fact that life can’t be all work now, so I’ve started to make time for fun activities as well. Who knows, maybe next time I’m in Malibu I’ll pick up the board and go for a spin.”

There were a couple more light questions before Tony finally came to the meat of what he’d wanted to say.

“There’ve been a lot of questions about what happened with the Avengers, and I debated long and hard about whether to answer those for a few reasons. First because it’s part of an ongoing investigation, and their fates will be decided in a court of law. Beyond perhaps being asked to help apprehend them or to testify, it is not my problem anymore. I also don’t want to be accused of influencing public opinion, even though as a private citizen, I have the right to speak my mind. Second because it’s… well, it’s not an easy subject. Third because… well, frankly, I just want to move on, and I’ve already given a press conference on the subject. I’ve already spent far too much of my time and energy on them, and I’d rather focus on things that actually made me happy and that are good for me.

“However, I understand that it was a really big thing and that people are curious, and aren’t likely to stop asking about it and wondering what happened. I’m a big believer in facing mistakes and learning from them, and I guess there is a lot to be learned from that mess, both for myself and for others as well. I’m also a believer in transparency, which is why I did the press conference to cover the basic facts of the situation. So I will answer a few more questions about it, and I guess if Rogers and his buddies don’t like what I have to say… Well, I supposed they are welcome to come forward and give their own perspective on it.”

There was a part of Tony that wanted to roast them some more, to talk about every little shitty thing any of those assholes had ever done, and watch the world turn against them even more. A part of him wanted them utterly destroyed, facing lynching mobs in the streets if they ever dared to show their faces again. After the hell they had put him through, it seemed only fair to return the favor and screw them up as much as he could. On the other hand, he didn’t want to be quite so petty, didn’t want to stoop to their level of emotional manipulation and twisting of the facts. Not that he needed to twist anything, of course, but if he went too hard, people would just think he was out for revenge, and Tony was better than that.

Still, people deserved the truth. Tony wasn’t going to go too out of his way to make them look bad, but he wasn’t going to hide anything anymore. He would just answer questions truthfully as best as he could, and let the chips fall where they may.

“So, here we go.

“Do I know where they are hiding? No, I do not. If I did, I would tell the relevant authorities so the criminals can be arrested. I am not, and will not, protect anyone anymore. I did that before and it was a huge mistake. You can rest assured that I will not be repeating it.

“Am I investigating it? No, not personally. There is a team dealing with that. I have told them what I knew and I’ve given them all relevant information to help track the criminals down. It’s in their hands now.”

The notion that he might still, at this point, be doing anything for those pieces of shit was ridiculous, but he could see why that might be a concern for some people. Despite his public renouncing of Rogers and his group, he had, in the past, covered for them. That was before being completely betrayed by the bastard, of course. Tony wasn’t actively searching for them – because it wasn’t his jurisdiction and he wasn’t about to place himself above the law anymore – but he wasn’t going to pull his punches a second (third) time. If and when they met again, there would be no question of who would come out on top. The kid gloves were well and truly gone.

“What do I want to happen to them? I want them to answer for their crimes like any other criminal. They will get their day in court and, hopefully, justice will be done. I’m not plotting revenge, if that’s what people are wondering. Like I said, I’ve moved on. Whatever happens to them will be in consequence of their own actions, and not anything I do.”

He didn’t need to do anything. He’d learned in the last few months that he had a lot more support than he’d ever imagined, and he was pretty sure people would take up the war cry in his name, as it were. Because it wasn’t just about him; he wasn’t the only one who’d been betrayed. Rogers and his minions had fucked over a _lot_ of people.

“What about the Winter Soldier? Well, that’s… complicated. Barnes should have his day in court, and they will decide what happens to him. Willing or not, he was responsible for many assassinations and other crimes, and the families of the victims deserve justice. They deserve closure.” Tony sighed, running a hand through his hair, then continued.

“It’s actually one of the most selfish things about the whole thing, you know. More than just a personal betrayal, Rogers actively denied people justice and closure by keeping silent about the Winter Soldier’s crimes. Worse, he helped _Hydra_ literally get away with murder, since in some cases – like that of my parents – no one even knew it was a murder. How many other murders were covered up as accidents, thus letting the culprits get away? Perhaps they could have been stopped. Perhaps we could have learned who ordered the hits, who was truly behind it, and those people could have been arrested and prosecuted. But Rogers didn’t think about any of that. He didn’t care about anyone but himself. Not even Barnes, because if he did, he would have realized that the way he went about things was the worst possible thing for his friend. Now Barnes has not only all the stuff from the Winter Soldier on his conscience, but everything else as well. The chase through the streets of Bucharest, the officers in Berlin, the fight in Siberia and the implosion of the Avengers because of Rogers’s need for his human security blanket.” He shook his head. “If I were Barnes, I would be really pissed about all of that. Hell, if I were Barnes, I’d get the hell away from Rogers as soon as possible. You know that saying, ‘with friends like these, who needs enemies’? That’s Rogers in a nut shell. That’s a guy who fucks over not just enemies, but friends as well – and the friends even more, perhaps. I mean, everyone who sided with him is in deep shit now, likely to end up in jail for a long time.” He shrugged. I can’t really be very sorry, though, since they made their own choices. Except maybe for Barnes.”

Tony really had no compassion whatsoever for Barton, Romanoff, Wilson or Maximoff. They followed Rogers of their own volition, and now they’d have to deal with the consequences. And Barton in particularly could rot in jail for the rest of his days, Tony thought vindictively. He hadn’t forgotten the man’s stupid crack in the Raft.

“Another set of frequently asked questions has to do with Wanda Maximoff. Who she is, why she became an Avenger, what happened in Lagos… Basically, what’s the deal with her?” Tony sighed. “Yeah, that’s… quite a tale. I can’t tell you guys everything yet because that’s one of the things under investigation. Her past, specifically. While I know some things, not all of it has been confirmed, and I wouldn’t want to be accused of spreading false information. So I’ll only tell you what I know for a fact, having witnessed it with my own eyes or heard about first hand.

“Looking back on it, I don’t know how I was so stupid as to not see exactly what was going on. See, when we first met her, she was trying to kill us. And by us, I mean the Avengers. She’s from Sokovia, and she blamed me – well, I guess she still does – for the death of her parents, because apparently a SI bomb fell on her house when she was a child, while Sokovia was going through a civil war or something. I should have realized right away that that didn’t add up. First, SI only ever legally sold weapons to the US military. So it the bomb was used legitimately by the military, it’s hardly my fault, is it? I don’t dictate US military targets or missions. What they do with the equipment they buy from my company is up to them, in which case she should blame whoever gave the order for that and not me. But, to the best of my knowledge, there were no missions in that part of the world at that time. So if it wasn’t an actual US military operation, we have two options. One, the weapons were used by… someone… who illegally acquired SI weapons. And just in case you’ve been living under a rock for the past 8 years, Obadiah Stane was responsible for that. Stane was my father’s business partner and – I thought – friend. But he’d actually been selling SI weapons to terrorists under the table for… quite a while. Right under my nose. Maybe I should have caught on, but… Well, I’d known the man all my life, I trusted him. Never in my wildest dreams would I have suspected him of any of that. Not until he tried to kill me, that is.

“Anyway, after the whole kidnapping thing, when I found out what he’d been doing, there was an investigation. I was cleared of all charges, since I didn’t know about any of it. So, to get back to the point, if those had been SI weapons, it would not have been my fault that they ended up in Sokovia being used in their civil war or whatever conflict was going on at the time. And, okay, maybe Maximoff wouldn’t have known that at the time, but she might have picked up a newspaper in the last couple of years to figure that out. You know, now that she’s not a child anymore.

“Or, option two – which is the most likely one – the weapons were fake. Someone just stuck an SI logo on it to hike up the price. That has happened plenty of times, it’s been documented and everything. And why do I say that this is the most likely option? Well, because one of the bombs _didn’t_ explode. Her sob story hinged on the fact that she was staring at the bomb, waiting for it to go off, for days before being rescued. Now, obviously, that’s a horrible situation, and terribly traumatizing for a child, no doubt. I can see how she might have come to the conclusion that I was personally to blame _at that time_. But then the child grew up, and she might have started to actually _think_ about the situation, get some information from reliable sources instead of her own head. And, if she had, she would have learned that SI stuff is the best. If that had been a real SI bomb, she _would_ have been blown up. Pure and simple. It’s awful to say that, I know, but that’s what it was designed to do, and that’s what it would have done. The fact that it was defective makes it very unlikely that it was the real thing.

“But even if it was… Let’s just think about that for a moment here, people. Even if it have been a real bomb, would it have made it my fault? Would it have made me _personally_ responsible? It’s like saying that if your mother was run over by a Volkswagen, that it’s Herbert Diess’s fault (he’s the CEO). Or, perhaps more accurately, if you get shot by a glock gun, it’s Glaston Glock’s fault. I mean, that’s just ridiculous. I can understand a traumatized child thinking that, but after more than ten years, she’s _still_ thinking that? Either she has severe mental problems and needs urgent treatment, or she’s just a psycho who’s using a real tragedy to justify her desire for violence. Either way, she _never_ had any business being an Avenger. She should have gone straight to jail after several counts of attempted murder. Not to mention aiding Ultron and thus being partially responsible for what happened in Sokovia.

“So why was she made an Avenger? you’re all no doubt wondering. Well, because for some reason the great Steve Rogers thought she was a poor misunderstood innocent flower. Even though she tried to _kill_ us and fucked with our minds for fun – and by fun, I mean revenge. Because she was just like him, apparently, volunteering for experimentation to defend her country. Except, of course, she didn’t join the Sokovian army, she joined Hydra, a known terrorist organization. Even if she didn’t know it was Hydra at first, there is no way she could have failed to know that fact after being there for a little while. And, I mean, really, she pretty much confessed to wanting powers so she could kill me. Then, when Ultron wanted to destroy the world and not just the Avengers, she decided to turn against him to stop him. I mean, of course she did. She lives in this world too, doesn’t she? Not much point in getting revenge if she won’t be around to enjoy it. So she turned on the waterworks, said she’d been deceived, and Rogers fell for it. And, to compound it, her brother then got killed because of the mess _he_ helped make, and she really turned on the waterworks of ‘poor innocent me, a victim of big bad Stark’.” He rolled his eyes.

“And you know… Rogers actually said, to my face, that I owed her. _I_ owed _her_. Can you believe it? And I’m ashamed to say I was so messed up just then – for a variety of reasons, including Wanda’s very own mind-fuck – that I didn’t call him on his crap. I let him put her on the team. Well, I didn’t _let_ , exactly. He made it pretty clear he was going to do it with or without my approval. So I left him to it, and hoped she really _was_ sorry. In fact, I left the Avengers entirely. Well, I wasn’t around anymore, but for some reason they still expected me to pay for everything, give them everything they wanted and clean up their messes.”

Distance had not really helped him much at that point, he realized, because he still thought he _needed_ them then. He’d still had nightmares of a second invasion. Wanda’s mind-whammy hadn’t created feelings, she’d just dialed up what was already there until he couldn’t see anything else. The sense of failure and helplessness that had followed him in the wake of the Ultron mess had meant that he was primed for manipulation from Rogers and his buddies. They had actually managed to convince him, at least a little, that Ultron had been his fault. Not all the time, mind. When he was away from them, he could be rational. But every time he visited the Compound, it all came back. He didn’t know if that was due to Wanda’s influence of just regular gaslighting. Regardless, it had made him vulnerable and susceptible to their demands on his time and money, even from afar.

Christ, how could he not have seen it? How could he have been so _stupid_?

No, that wasn’t fair. It wasn’t his fault. He’d been manipulated and used. They had taken advantage of his good will and his desperation. _They_ were the ones who were wrong, not him.

With another headshake, this time to dispel those gloomy thoughts, Tony re-focused on the camera and continued.

“But let’s go back to the part where Rogers said I owed Wanda, because… Yeah, that’s just… I have no words. And then, I find out his good buddy Barnes _actually_ killed my parents – with his own hands, mind you, and I know because I _saw_ it happen – but it’s absolutely _awful_ of me to want to punch him in the face. Do you see the hypocrisy? Because my name – the name of my company, which my father started and I inherited – was on a bomb that fell on Maximoff’s house some 20 years ago, I’m _personally_ responsible and need to make restitution to this poor helpless victim. But _I_ ’m not allowed to want to hurt – and I said hurt, not kill, because let’s be honest, if I wanted either Rogers or Barnes dead, they would be dead – the man who actually physically _murdered_ my parents _seconds_ after I saw in on video. I mean, talk about double standards, right?

“So, that’s what I have to say about Wanda at the moment. There are people working on gathering information and evidence against her, and all that will eventually become public knowledge, but I don’t want to jump the gun here. No doubt she’ll find a way to blame me for her being a wanted criminal too.

“In fact, I’m sure they _all_ blame me for this. I mean, Rogers accused _me_ of breaking the Avengers in Leipzig. Can you believe that? He’d been sitting on the knowledge that his BFF killed my parents for _two years_ , but _I_ ’m the one who broke the Avengers by signing the Accords.” He sighed. “Sometimes I really wonder what goes on in his head, you know? But then I remember that I don’t actually care, and that’s way better for me.

“Anyway, that’s all for today, folks. I hope you’re all well out there and I’ll see you soon.” He waved, and that was the signal for Friday to stop the recording.

“That was pretty good, Boss,” Friday said.

“Thanks, baby. Keep me posted about the responses.”

“Sure thing.”

“What’s next on the agenda, Fri?”

“I think it’s lunch time, Boss. Also, Pepper asked to remind you that you have dinner reservations for 8 tonight.”

“Great.” He stood and stretched. “Let’s get some lunch, then. See if Vision wants to join me. We can talk a bit more about his upcoming video debut.”

Yep, life was good.


	2. Reaction

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To make it easier to see who’s talking, Steve’s lines are in bold.

“Sir, there’s something you need to see,” Friday said, a note of urgency in her voice.

“What is it, Friday?”

Tony was finalizing some projects to be presented at the Expo, four screens opened in front of him. The Expo was going to be a blast – and hopefully without the homicidal maniac or the crazy rival who enabled the homicidal maniac disrupting it.

“Rogers has just posted a video.”

 _Well, took him long enough_ , Tony thought. It had been almost four months since Tony’s press conference, when he’d told the world everything that had happened during the Civil War. Tony would have been surprised by the long delay if he didn’t know of Rogers’s aversion to all things media (and modern). It was unlikely that he hadn’t known about that or Tony’s social media presence, but he must have thought it beneath him to respond. Or maybe he just didn’t know what to say – or how to make a video.

However, Tony’s last video a couple of days ago had probably lit a fire under his ass. The repercussion had been _massive_ , with overwhelming support for Tony and even more people crying out for the fugitives’ heads, particularly Rogers and Maximoff. Rogers had no choice now but to say _something_.

“Play it, Fri. Let’s see this train wreck.”

“Do you want to do a reaction video, Boss? That could be fun.”

Tony thought about it. Well, he was going to have _thoughts_ about whatever mess he was about to see, so he might as well share them. “Sure, why not.”

“All right. Starting now.”

“Hey, everyone, it’s time for another episode of Stark Talk. Today we have a special edition. I have just been informed that Steve Rogers has uploaded a video, which I presume is a response to my last video. I imagine he’ll talk about the so-called Civil War and the gazillion accusations that have been levelled against him and his buddies. So I’m gonna watch it here with you guys and let you know what I think about it. It’s a reaction video! That’s a thing people do, right? Get the popcorn, guys. I bet this is going to be entertaining. Anyway, here it goes. Hit it, Fri.”

The screens he had been working on had already disappeared, and were now replaced by the video. There he was, Captain America himself in all his glory in slightly shaky frame.

“So, he’s wearing the suit, huh,” Tony said. Friday paused the video so Tony could continue to speak. “Wonder who came up with that idea. Does he think that’s going to endear him to the public?” Even the die-hard Cap fans were wary of supporting him too much now, after all the unpleasant revelations that had come to light. There was far too much negativity surrounding the man and his little minions. And in the international stage it was even worse. Then again, Rogers wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed. It was perfectly possible that he _did_ think this would help. There really was no telling what the man was thinking (aside from a litany of _Bucky Bucky Bucky_ , of course). “Not up to a very good start, is he? I can see the anti-American crowd shouting already. And the nice Americans shouting even louder that this idiot does not represent the whole country.” He shook his head and sighed. “Let’s hear what he has to say.”

“ **Hello. My name is Steve Rogers. I’m Captain America** ,” Rogers said with that same self-righteous tone that had grated on Tony from the very first time they’d met. God, that seemed like a lifetime ago…

Rogers was alone, standing tall in front of a white wall. The iconic shield was missing, though. It was in Tony’s vault. He hadn’t quite decided what to do with it yet, but Rogers would never lay eyes on it again, that was for sure.

“ **I’m here to tell people the truth about what happened with the Avengers** ,” Rogers continued.

“Tony Stark is a liar!” a voice came from the background. Wanda. Typical.

Tony rolled his eyes and settled himself more comfortably. This was going to be hilarious, he could just tell. “What did I say? Here comes the blame game.”

Rogers looked off camera, to where Wanda presumably was, then straightened his shoulders again.

“ **There has been some… misunderstandings… about a lot of things, and I’d like to clarify some things.** ”

“Oh, he’d like to clarify, would he? And I suppose the world will just have to take his word for it, I guess. I mean, I showed actual evidence, but obviously that was a lie.” The sarcasm was hard to miss in his voice – except for Rogers, probably, who wouldn’t know sarcasm if it bit him in the ass. “And I’d love to see how he’s going to justify his actions. I wonder how long it’s going to take him to mention his precious Bucky. Let’s say… Two minutes? Start the countdown, folks.”

“ **The Avengers are here to defend the public, and that means that we cannot be bogged down by things like the Accords**.”

Tony snorted. “Has he even read them? Because he didn’t when we got the ‘presentation’. He didn’t seem to know what they were about at all. I mean, he acted surprised. One would think that a guy who supposedly led a group like the Avengers would be on top of stuff like that, but nope. I bet he _still_ hasn’t read it. He decided the Accords were bad based on… I really have no idea… and that was all he needed to know.”

“ **I know Tony probably thought he was doing the right thing in signing them, but we’ve all seen how that turned out. An innocent man was hunted down like a common criminal**.”

“And here it is – poor Bucky is innocent,” Tony said in a whiny tone. “Wow, less than one minute. Who had that bet? Also, Barnes may not have been entirely in control, but he _did_ do those things. And in Bucharest he wasn’t the Winter Soldier, so he can’t use the brainwashing defense for assaulting and killing officers of the law doing their jobs.”

“ **And heroes were put behind bars for standing up for what’s right. For defending their own freedom**.”

“Wow, that’s some pretty amazing revisionist history there. Defending their own freedom? What drug is Rogers snorting? Seriously, does he think freedom means being able to go wherever he wants to do whatever he wants? Does he know nothing about how sovereign borders work? Spoiler alert, guys: he doesn’t.” Tony shook his head again. “And I know it sounds crazy now, but this guy can make people believe the shit he sprouts, ‘cause Wilson kinda agreed. And that was one person who really should have known better. I’m starting to think Rogers’s superpower is to melt people’s brains.”

“ **We never meant for anyone to get hurt–** ”

“Right. So if they did… oops. Not his fault, right? If he didn’t mean it, then it’s okay. But when the alien entity in the scepter hijacked my program and took its name, it didn’t matter what _my_ intentions were. He was pretty quick to blame me. And I’m also to blame for Wanda’s parents because my name was in a weapon that probably had nothing do with me. But the people who died because of _Rogers_ ’s actions… Yeah, he’s clearly not willing to accept responsibility, is he?”

“ **–but sometimes you can’t save everyone**.”

“Except he didn’t save _anyone_ , not even his buddy Barnes. _Not_ the people in Lagos, who were endangered because of him. _Not_ the Task Force agents sent to apprehend a dangerous assassin. _Not_ the innocent bystanders in Bucharest. _Not_ this amorphous entity he calls ‘the people’, who were left wondering whether they could even believe in the Avengers after his rampage.”

“ **I know now that not telling Tony about his parents wasn’t the best decision.** **I guess I thought by not telling him about it I was sparing him, but I can see now that I was really sparing myself, and I’m sorry. Hopefully one day he can understand** **–** ”

“Oh, my god, really? He figured that out _now_? That it was all about _him_? Wow, let’s all take a moment to appreciate this momentous occasion,” Tony paused dramatically, rolling his eyes. “Also, I understand just fine, you asshole. I understand that you only care about yourself – which you’ve just admitted to.”

“ **–but his response was exactly what I was worried about. Tony himself acknowledged that Bucky wasn’t responsible, and yet he attacked him anyway. An innocent man, who has been through unimaginable torture**.”

“Oh, wow, really? I was supposed to process that in two seconds, but Wanda can keep a grudge for over ten years. I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: hypocrisy at its finest, folks. Not to mention that he completely disregards – again – the _torture_ that was watching _my_ parents _murdered_ in those kinds of circumstances. Blindsided and alone, with the murderer right _there_. _And_ learning that a man I thought was my friend knew about it for years and said _nothing_. But it’s all about Steve Rogers, ladies and gentlemen. Let’s take a moment to feel _his_ pain.” He shook his head. “Christ on a stick…”

“ **He should have trusted me to handle the situation**.”

Tony couldn’t help it, he laughed. He laughed so hard he almost fell off the chair. “Oh, my god, this is gold. Absolute gold. _I_ should have trusted _him_? He’s just admitted that he was wrong in not telling me the truth, yet he thinks I should have trusted him. I… I have no words. Really, I don’t know what to say to that. Is the man completely delusional? Does he _hear_ the shit that comes out of his mouth?”

“ **I want everyone to know that I don’t wish Tony any ill–** ”

Another eye roll. Tony was going to get some severe eyestrain by the time this video ended. “Oh, sure. Destroying my suit and leaving me to freeze to death was proof of his great regard for me. My several broken ribs are a testament to it, no doubt. Oh, wait, it was my own fault for punching his lying ass.”

“ **–but the things he’s been saying about me and the rest of the Avengers have gone too far. We aren’t criminals, and we don’t deserve to be treated as such**.”

“Well, if the shoe fits… Really, does he want me to list the laws he’s broken? Because, honestly, it’s a long list and I have better things to do with my time. He could google it, but that would be too much trouble, right?”

“ **Mistakes were made by both sides**.”

“Yep, I made a huge mistake in trying to reason with those bastards. Should have just knocked them down right away. It would have saved me and others a lot of heartache – not to mention several broken bones and trips to the hospital.”

“ **I know people can see the truth. My faith’s always been in people. Individuals**.”

“Right. Except me. And the people who were behind the Accords. And everyone else who doesn’t agree with him.”

“ **And I’m happy to say that, for the most part, they haven’t let me down**.”

“I, on the other hand, cannot say the same. A whole lot of people have let me down, including this idiot right there. And the little minions who sided with him.”

“ **Which is why I can’t let them down either. I know Tony is doing what he believes in, and that’s all any of us can do, but I won’t back down. The Avengers won’t back down, no matter what. I promise you, if you need us, we’ll be there**.”

“Oh my god. Seriously? Does he really think people _want_ him anymore? Does he think people are gonna welcome him with open arms? That’s he’s a poor oppressed guy fighting for truth and justice? Dear lord…”

“ **The Avengers have always and _will_ always protect the public**.”

“Oh, I can’t anymore. I just can’t.” Tony threw his hands up.

“ **I want Tony to know that I’m ready to talk whenever he wants. I want him to know that we can put this behind us and still work together despite his unfair accusations**.”

“Dear lord, this takes the cake. It really does. He thinks I _want_ to work with him? He thinks I would ever just… forget about all that? The lies, the betrayal, the manipulation? The way he spit in the face of everything the Avengers are supposed to be about for his personal crusade to get his security blanket back?”

“ **I know he’s angry and hurt, and I’m sorry about that. Really, I am. I never meant for things to happen that way**.”

“He never meant to lie to me? Except he admitted that he did. He didn’t mean to fight his friends – using the term loosely here, of course? You guys see how he takes _no_ responsibility for any of it? Things just _happened_ that way, like it was simple chance and not the direct result of his own actions. Does he not understand the concept of cause and effect? Jesus… Also, Rogers, pal, you have no idea what I am. You don’t know a single thing about me, but perhaps one day you’ll learn – and I guarantee you won’t like it. Fuck, what an ass.”

“ **This campaign of misinformation needs to stop, though. He can’t go on saying things like that. Wanda is not like he said. She was used by Hydra**.”

“Oh yes, she’s a poor innocent flower.” Tony’s eyes were about to drop out of his head with how hard he was rolling them.

“ **She realized that, and she did her best to turn her life around. And then Tony locked her up for trying to help people in Lagos. I guess he didn’t mention that, did he? He called her a weapon of mass destruction**.”

“Wow. Unbelievable. Okay, I did call her a weapon of mass destruction. And you know what? I stand by it. She is. She’s crazy and dangerous and I do think she could blow at any moment. And locking her up? Nope. After the mess in Lagos, her visa was up in the air, as I’m sure any one of you with two brain cells to rub together could imagine. Now for reasons that escape me at the moment, I was actually trying to help her – yeah, I know, what was I thinking? I told Vision to make sure she stayed at the Compound, because there were people clamoring for her blood. She wasn’t _locked up_ , she was just asked to stay inside her own house – a large and very comfortable house that I was paying for. Should I have talked to her to explain the situation? Maybe. But: one, she’s an adult – no matter what Rogers keeps saying – so I imagined that she would figure it out for herself that leaving the Compound right then wasn’t a great idea. Big mistake there, apparently. She hasn’t got the common sense god gave a snail. Or maybe she just doesn’t give a damn, I don’t know. Two, she hates me, so I didn’t think she’d listen to anything I had to say. I thought getting Vision to talk to her would be a better idea.” Tony sighed and shook his head. “That was when I thought she liked him, but I was wrong about that too, since she had no problem sending him through multiple floors for daring to tell her something she didn’t want to hear. But I’m still the bad guy in this situation, according to Rogers. Didn’t I tell you he was going to find a way to blame me?”

“ **She’s not. She’s a kid–** ”

“She’s twenty-five years-old, for god’s sake! How is that a kid?”

“ **–who has already lost so much. Her parents, her brother, her home–** ”

“Her brother died because of their own actions They were the ones who decided that helping Ultron was a good idea. Her home was almost wiped off the map because _she_ chose to help Ultron. In fact, I have a theory – not entirely proven yet, so don’t take it as truth – that she _caused_ Ultron in the first place. I don’t have any evidence yet, but the investigative team is working on it, and the public will be informed when that’s done.”

“ **–and she deserves a second chance**.”

“Oh, fuck you.”

“ **And Tony needs to take responsibility for his own hand in that. In the tragedy that happened to Wanda**.”

“Oh, here it comes.”

“ **I know he wasn’t directly responsible, but it was still his weapons. Or something close to it, something that existed _because_ of his weapons**.”

“Oh my god, is he for real? Is he really saying that _I_ ’m the reasons weapons exist _in the world_? Like… that’s… I have no words.” He shook his head. “I mean, there’s delusion and then there’s this. I’m starting to think he’s got some kind of mental problem. No one can possible be this disconnected from reality.”

“ **And Tony profited from those weapons–** ”

“Of course I did, it’s called _business_. Manufacturing and selling weapons is a legitimate business. You can have a moral objection, but it’s still legal. Jesus fucking Christ…”

“ **–which did nothing but cause suffering to people**.” Tony only shook his head this time. He had no more words for this insanity. “ **I know he shut production down, which was the right thing to do–** ”

“Oh, fuck you, you sanctimonious piece of shit. You sure as hell wasn’t complaining when I was making weapons for _you_. And for the record, while I stand by my decision to stop making weapons, a lot of people weren’t happy about it, including the military. Does Rogers thinks the army fights with bare hands? Wasn’t he all gun-ho to join the army to fight the Nazis back in the 40s? Didn’t he figure out how important weapons were then? Stark Industries was supplying a lot of those. Is he saying my father was wrong in making weapons too, or it is just me?”

“ **–but it doesn’t change the damage done prior to that. To people like Wanda, who were only trying to live their lives in peace**.”

“Right. Like the people he trampled over in Bucharest. They were only trying to live their lives. But I guess those people don’t matter, because there’s no way to blame that on me, since I wasn’t there. By the way, have you guys noticed that Rogers hasn’t said a single word about the people he killed? Not even an insincere sorry. He doesn’t even acknowledge that people are now _dead_ because of him. Nothing about my parents either. In fact, he stood there and watched the fucking video without _any_ reaction except worry for his precious Bucky. How can this guy think he’s a hero? How can he think _anyone_ thinks he’s a hero?”

Tony shook his head again. “Okay guys, pool time. Do you think Rogers is delusional or a sociopath? Because those seem like the only two choices at the moment. If there are any psychologists out there… Boy, I bet you guys could have a field day with this. Write entire dissertations on the insanity of this video.”

“ **He’s shown no compassion for Wanda whatsoever. All he does is attack her when she can’t even defend herself**.”

“Nope, I can’t. I’m just done. I can’t listen to this bullshit.” He took a deep breath. Maybe watching this hadn’t been the best idea, since it seemed to be increasing his blood pressure far too much.

“ **He’s manipulating the public to turn against us, against the Avengers, just because he’s angry with me**.”

“Okay, you know what? No. Just… _fuck_ him. Fuck him and Bucky and Wanda and all those sycophants he’s calling Avengers. And they aren’t, by the way. They have officially been fired from the Avengers. Where are they, anyway? Where’s Wilson, Barton, Barnes, Romanoff? That guy at the airport… what’s his name? Lang? Do they agree with this asshole? Or have they all just stop thinking for themselves?”

“ **I urge the public to remember who the real heroes are. Don’t be fooled by politicians’ pretty words. Those paper pushers have their own agendas and the Accords would have made it impossible for the Avengers to work**.”

“Except the Avengers are working just fine, thank you very much. Rogers simply doesn’t happen to be one anymore. And thank god for that.”

“ **They don’t know anything about saving the world, they just want to shackle and use us**.”

“Again, I don’t know what else to say here. You guys agree with me that this is all insane, right? Please tell me I’m not the only one horrified by the shit coming out of his asshole’s mouth.”

It wasn’t just that Rogers was being a dick and blaming everyone else for his own mistakes and refusing to take responsibility for anything – there was nothing new there, after all. What really worried Tony (what _scared_ him) was that the man seemed to actually _believe_ the crap he was saying. Back when they’d had the Accords discussion (using the term loosely, of course), Rogers had said the safest hands were his own, but now he seemed to be going a step further. He was ignoring reality and facts to construct a (crazy) narrative that painted him as the hero fighting the big bad oppressors. From there to ‘benevolent’ dictator wasn’t a big distance.

If Rogers had continued to make it all about Bucky, maybe Tony could have understood it. He would still think the man was dead wrong, of course, but he’d be able to understand that Rogers just couldn’t be objective when it came to his friend. If he had offered a real apology, explained his gut reaction driven by desperation to reclaim a bit of his past… Well, Tony would still have done his best to put the asshole in jail, but there might have been the slightest bit of sympathy. Now… Now Tony was worried that this was going to be the beginning of Rogers’s villainy. This could very well be the part where the fucker snapped completely and turned into a full-fledged villain hell bent on getting his way no matter who he had to go through. It wasn’t just about Bucky anymore, it was about Rogers putting himself above _everyone else_ , making a clear divide between ‘us’ and ‘them’, with ‘them’ being anyone who didn’t agree with him or cater to his every whim.

“Okay, you know what? I’m freaked out. I am legitimately freaked out here. This is way worse than I thought. This guy is dangerous. Very _very_ dangerous. He sounds like Loki, like Killian, like Hydra, like Ultron. He sounds like he’s one step away from declaring war on the world and trying to conquer it – for the world’s own good, of course.”

“ **We will not surrender. The Avengers are still here and will always be here. We will win this fight and we’ll be able to continue to do what we have always done, which is to protect the world**.”

“Jesus fucking Christ. Do you hear it? Did you hear the ‘you will bow down to me, or else’ just there? Sorry guys, this isn’t funny anymore. It’s creepy.” Tony took a deep breath and looked back at the camera. “Don’t worry, though. He won’t be able to do much damage. We’ll find them and put them in jail where they belong. And by the way, if anyone has any information regarding the fugitives’ whereabouts, please contact your local law enforcement office as soon as possible. The quicker we catch these bastards, the less chance of them hurting anyone else.”

“ **Don’t believe the lies you are being told. We are not criminals. We’re the heroes here, the people that will fight for you. A wise person once said that sometimes you have to plant yourself like a tree and tell the world to move, and that is precisely what we are doing and what we’ll continue to do**.”

“I think Rogers is forgetting an important part of that quote. Before the part about planting yourself like a tree, there is a part about compromising where you can. Obviously compromise doesn’t exist in Rogers’s word, because it’s his way or the highway. Regular people – not crazy egomaniacal would-be dictators – _do_ compromise. Sometimes happily, sometimes begrudgingly, sometimes angrily, but that’s part of being an adult living in a democratic society. Your needs are not the only ones that matter. Your point of view is not the only one that exists. Rogers can think he’s right, and that Bucky’s life is worth more than the lives of the Task Force agents he murdered, but I’m pretty sure the agents’ families would think otherwise. But Rogers can’t see that. He can’t see beyond himself and his own needs and desires. He’s decided that he’s a hero – and a real hero wouldn’t need to call himself a hero all the time, by the way – so everyone who disagrees is wrong and needs to be put in their place. Everyone who gets in his way is an obstacle to be knocked down, no matter who they are or what they are trying to do. He actually said that the Avengers shouldn’t sign the Accords because, and I quote, ‘the best hands are our own’ – and by ‘our’ he means _his_ and his alone, of course.

“Also, he keeps saying I’m lying, yet he’s presented no counter evidence except his own word. He hasn’t even explained anything. I’ve given you video, audio, documents, _facts_. He doesn’t even specify what it is he thinks I’m lying about. He’d just… talking out of his ass. And worse, he actually expects people to just… take his word for it.” He shook his head.

“And I really want to know how he thinks he’s going to keep fighting ‘for the people’ as a wanted fugitive with no money, no weapons and no resources. With an arrest warrant with his name on it and international forces looking for him. Seriously, I’d love to know what goes on in his head.”

“ **This is Captain America. Thanks for sticking with us**.” Rogers gave a rather awkward wave and the video ended.

For a while, Tony just stared at the dark screen where the video had been. Then he shook himself off and addressed his audience again.

“Well, folks, that’s that. Final thoughts: Steve Rogers is a lunatic, a dangerous lunatic. I really have no more words for that… thing… we just watched. I think disaster is putting it mildly, but I’m really curious about what people’s reaction is gonna be to that. As I’m sitting here recording this, I have no idea, but I’d like to think people will see it for what it is: the deranged words of a criminal desperately trying to justify his own actions by blaming others for his own mistakes. I’d like to think people are smart enough to notice the total lack of any substantiation for anything he said, and the utter disregard for the law and the people he claims to want to protect.

“For myself, it only confirms what I already knew: that this man is no hero. That he cannot be trusted. That he needs to be behind bars. It also confirms that no one except his chosen few mean anything to him.” He paused, tilting his head to the ceiling and leaning back in his chair. “In a way, that actually makes me feel better. It wasn’t personal. He treats _everyone_ who doesn’t kiss his ass like a potential enemy. I simply happened to have something he wanted for a time. He was never my friend because he isn’t capable of friendship. He wants worshippers, minions who will follow him meekly, and that is not and will never be me. Even Bucky I doubt he really cares about as a person. At this point, the man is probably just a possession he wants to reclaim because it will make him feel better. If he actually cared about the guy, he would have accepted the deal I offered back in Berlin.

“I am left wondering what Barnes, Wilson, Barton and Lang think about all this. I don’t know if they even know about this video, and it would be just like Rogers to say he’s speaking for them without even bothering to consult them. Wanda no doubt agrees with every word – or at least is willing to go along with it since Rogers is defending her. The others… yeah, I wonder. If they have any functional brain cells remaining, though, they should turn themselves in immediately. Throw themselves at the courts’ mercy before the body count rises even more and they get into even worse trouble. If they say nothing, do nothing, then I – and the world – will have to conclude that they _do_ agree with Rogers, and that makes them just as dangerous.” He shrugged. “Oh, well, that’s not my problem. They’re all adults so they can make their own decisions and then face the consequences.

“All right, guys. So, you all have a nice day. I’m gonna go do something fun to get away from the mountain of crazy I’ve just been exposed to, and I suggest you all to the same. I’ll see you soon.”

The camera stopped recording and Tony stood up. He wasn’t kidding, he needed to wash the crazy off of him. “Fri, is Pepper busy?”

Pepper was going to do ballistic over this video, Tony knew. It would be better to distract her before she started plotting inventive ways to dismember Rogers.

“I believe she could do with some company, Boss,” was Friday’s reply.

“She’s seen it, hasn’t she?”

“Yep.”

Tony laughed. “Tell her I’m on my way.”

“Done. Also, I’m finishing editing the video and will be posting it in a few minutes.”

“Thanks, Fri. I’m looking forward to the fallout from this.”

“Me too, Boss. Those bastards are going down.”

Yes, they were. Sooner or later, they were going down. And Tony was going to enjoy every second of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a reminder: in this series, the last scene in CW with Tony and Rhodey at the Compound didn’t happen. Steve didn’t send the letter, but I worked some of it into his speech here, as I’m sure you guys noticed. Steve did break the others out of the Raft, though, and they’ve been on the run ever since. We’ll find out more about what’s been going on with them in the next chapter.


	3. Consequences

People thought Steve’s video was, as Tony predicted (well, as he’d _hoped_ ), a shit show. It seemed everyone had an opinion and was not shy about voicing it – and those opinions were 95 percent negative (thank fuck. Tony would have despaired of humanity if there had been too many Cap supporters after that). What amused him more, however, was that Rogers’s video itself wasn’t the most viewed. Nope, it was Tony’s reaction video that had the honor of being the most shared and commented, the trending topic on all social media platforms. And the internet being what it was, there were reaction videos to Tony’s reaction video – some of which were hilarious.

There was one guy who decided to make a drinking game out of it (with orange juice, not alcohol – a good thing, or he would have ended up very drunk). He took a sip for every time Tony rolled his eyes or shook his head at Rogers’s stupidity and hypocrisy. There were _a lot_ of sips, even more than Tony himself had realized. It had been a little weird seeing his own expressions of disdain and incredulity at the nonsense Rogers had spewed out. Still, he stood by everything he said, and OJ guy had as well. He actually said that he was surprised there had been so little cursing.

“If I were Tony Stark,” the man had said, “I would have started with a ‘fuck you’ the second Rogers appeared on screen, and it would only have gone downhill from there. Rogers’s gall is really unbelievable. I’m ashamed to have ever been a Cap fan.” He’d raised his (third) nearly empty glass and made a toast. “Here’s to Tony Stark, for being way classier and more restrained than Rogers deserved. I hope Tony is well and not letting this idiocy get to him too much. We stand with you, Tony.”

So of course Tony had commented on the man’s video to thank him for the support (and reblogged the video on his Twitter) and that one had ended up trending too.

There were also countless memes, gifs and songvids and montages in response to both Rogers’s deluded declarations and Tony’s reaction.

Despite the fact that Tony hadn’t quite been able to shake his unease regarding the danger of whatever Rogers could to do next, he had to admit he was enjoying himself with the way everyone and their grandma was crucifying Rogers and Maximoff (the others had gotten a lot less attention. Perhaps they’d been wise not to show their faces on that disaster of a video).

Pepper had been furious at Rogers, but Tony had been able to calm her down quickly enough by pointing out that the man had pretty much just dug his own grave, and she wouldn’t even have to lift a finger to destroy him now. Then the two of them had spent a fantastic evening together cuddling and making love. There was no way that Tony was going to let Rogers interfere in his life any more than he already had.

Social media and regular media were going crazy trying to keep up with the aftermath of Rogers’ video disaster while investigative authorities were working hard on tracking the fugitives through their digital presence. There had been two dozen interview requests since the videos had gone live, so Tony had used his Twitter account to tell the press that he’d already said everything he wanted to say on the matter. Now he was just going to sit back and watch the fireworks.

The hashtags #CapIsCrazy, #DelusionalRogers, #RogersIsALiar, #TeamCrapDeservesJail, #WandaIsACrazyTerrorist and several others in that vein went through the roof in less than 24hs. An enterprising soul (Tony loved those people) had actually started the pool he’d requested, and that was trending too. Friday was keeping track of it for him, and updated him every hour. At the moment, the day after the videos were posted, the results were 52% delusional, 31% sociopath, 10% I don’t even (Tony had chuckled at that option), 6% mind controlled and 1% totally right (fanatics did exist, after all). In fact, pools like that had spread like wildfire, and some were pretty funny.

There was one for Wanda (“Wanda Maximoff is…”), and so far the results were: 59% a terrorist, 28% a deranged nutcase, 12% an opportunistic bitch and 1% an innocent victim.

The rest of the ExVengers, as the media had dubbed them, had their own pool as well. Tony’s favorite was the one that asked why they had decided to follow Rogers. The responses were: 39% they’re too stupid to actually think about what they were doing, 36% they have a huge boner for Rogers, 13% because of misguided loyalty, 7% they were deceived by Rogers, 5% they just don’t care.

Tony was laughing his ass off, even though a part of him was also a bit concerned – what if Rogers did decide to go full super villain? After all, people had flipped for less (such as Killian, who apparently thought becoming a terrorist was an appropriate response to Tony giving him the brush-off at a party 10 ten years before). Still, Tony trusted that the Avengers (the real ones) would be able to catch him if that happened. The question was how much destruction Rogers would cause before being stopped.

On the upside, Tony was being flooded with messages of support from all over the world, and the #TeamIronMan and #TonyStarkIsAHero hashtags were trending too. From kids to adults to senior citizens, everyone was damned pissed at Rogers for his baseless accusations and – worst of all – his complete disregard for the lives lost due to his own actions. It was hard to believe that the same man had once been considered a hero; now people were burning Cap merchandising in the streets as a form of protest and demanding the harshest possible punishment.

Friday had made a compilation of Twitter posts for him.

 **Hannah Prit** _Hang in there, Tony. We know who the real heroes are_. #TeamIronMan

 **TheSounder** _I don’t know what I was expecting from Rogers, but it wasn’t this… crap. Tony is right, there are really no words to describe that video. Delusional doesn’t even begin to cover it. I hope the ExVengers are arrested soon. I’ll sleep much better once they’re behind bars_. #TeamIronMan # CapIsCrazy

 **Lilah O’Connor** _Tony Stark is a saint for having put up with Rogers for as long as he did. I hope he flattens Rogers as he deserves. Rogers is a complete bastard. How dare he ignore the lives lost to defend assassins and terrorist?_ #TeamIronMan #FuckRogers

 **John Trent** _I agree with Tony. We’re a hair’s breadth away from villain!Rogers, and that’s scary. Catch those idiots, Tony!_ #GoTonyStark #RogersInJail

 **XXRoses_are_redXX** _And Rogers wonders why the Accords are necessary… It’s to protect us from people like_ you _, you moron! What a lunatic_ … #TonyStarkIsAHero #CapIsCrazy #TeamCrapDeservesJail, #WandaIsACrazyTerrorist

 **FunKyLadY** _Sending all my love and support to the real Avengers (Tony, Rhodes and Vision). Cap and his accomplices belong in jail. We do NOT need them!_ #TonyStarkIsAHero # TeamCrapDeservesJail

 **Peter Parker** _Wow, Cap is nuts. Just a guy from Brooklyn my ass. I don’t know who he thinks he’s fighting for, but it sure as hell isn’t the average joe. He needs to locked up asap. Iron Man is the real hero, both in and out of the suit_. #TonyStarkIsAHero #RogersInJail

Tony laughed aloud at Peter’s post. Spider-Man might be out of commission for the moment, but Peter was still fighting the good fight on social media. Friday was keeping an eye on him since he’d gotten into a few virtual fights with Cap supporters. There weren’t many of those left anymore, but some wackjobs wouldn’t leave it alone. They had no real arguments, of course, just spewed the same vague and meaningless rhetoric of Cap ‘fighting for the people’ and being ‘an American hero’. Peter had taken in upon himself to give those people some facts to the contrary. Tony sincerely doubted any of them would be convinced; like Rogers himself, they changed the world to fit their narrative and were incapable of accepting different points of view.

“Boss, there’s a call for you from Agent Connor of Interpol.” Friday’s voice pulled Tony from his perusal of the Twitter posts.

“Good afternoon, Agent Connor. How can I help you?”

“Good afternoon Mr Stark. I’ve just received a call from the Croatian police. Scott Lang and Sam Wilson have turned themselves in.”

Tony immediately sat up in his chair. “Really? They turned themselves in? Well, what do you know, they have some brains left.” Agent Connor chuckled. “What about the others?” Tony asked. “Barton, Maximoff, Barnes and Rogers? Oh, and Romanoff?”

“There is no word on any of them yet. My team and I are on our way to Zagreb to take custody of them. I’d like for you to join me, if you can.”

“Sure. I can be there in a few hours.”

“Thank you. I’ll send you the information.”

Once the call ended, Tony got Friday to rearrange his schedule and called Pepper to give her the good news.

“Are you sure it’s not some kind of trap?” Pepper asked.

“I don’t think either of them is smart enough to think of that. I think it’s more likely that they’ve decided to rejoin reality. Or at least stopped taking everything Rogers says as gospel. In any case, we’ll be prepared.”

“Okay, good. I’ll postpone the Expo meeting for next week. Will that be enough?”

“I think so, yeah. I’ll be leaving in an hour.”

She nodded. “Take care and keep me updated.” Then she gave him that satisfied smile that Tony loved. “Give them hell, Tony.”

“Oh, I will.” He smirked. Even if Wilson and Lang had seen the light (that was, the error of their ways), they still needed to be smacked in the face with the harsh reality of their stupidity. Lang Tony would go easy on – he didn’t know the guy anyway, though what little he’d found out had not inspired much consideration. Wilson was a different matter. He should have known better. Tony didn’t know yet if the man had known about his parents; if he had, there would be hell to pay.

After updating Vision and Rhodey on the situation and getting in touch with other people who needed to know about it, Tony was off.

Agent Connor and the local police Captain were waiting for him when he arrived at the station where Wilson and Lang were being held. The press (national and international) was also there, as well as a huge crowd, who cheered when he touched down. Tony lifted the faceplate and waved to the public before greeting the officers with a nod and a handshake.

“Thank you for coming, Mr Stark,” Connor said. “This is Mr Novak.”

“Pleasure.”

“Please follow me,” Novak said.

Connor had already told him what he knew during the flight over. Wilson and Lang had shown up in a police station in the city of Karlovac wanting to turn themselves in. Once the locals had realized who they had in custody, they had contacted their superiors and other competent authorities in the country. Those had then contacted the Accords Panel, Interpol and Counter Terrorism, and the prisoners were transferred to Zagreb, the Croatian capital. The Falcon and Ant-Man suit had been apprehended and secured, though no one was quite sure what to do with them yet.

“Have they said anything?” Tony asked.

“They asked for a lawyer,” Connor replied.

“Of course they did,” Tony rolled his eyes. Well, at least they were thinking. A bit too late, perhaps, but better than nothing.

“The American Embassy is sending someone. They should be here soon.”

“We have received calls from the Romanian and German governments,” Novak said. “They want Wilson and Lang to be handed over for trial.”

That was going to be a political nightmare, Tony thought, sorting out who would get to prosecute the criminals. It was a very good thing that it wasn’t his responsibility.

After a few more minutes of conversation, Tony and Connor entered the interrogation where Wilson and Lang were waiting while Novak observed through the one-way mirror.

“Well, look who wised up. I’m impressed,” Tony said in his best Tony Fucking Stark voice. “I wasn’t sure you guys had brains anymore.” Perhaps it wasn’t the best idea to antagonize them right off the bat, but Tony was very good at being aggravating, and it usually got him results. Plus, they’d brought it on themselves, so they couldn’t complain about facing consequences now – or about being called idiots.

Lang swallowed hard and seemed to be on the verge of tears already. Wilson also couldn’t meet his eyes, and shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

Connor told them a lawyer was on their way, but it would help them if they cooperated as much as possible, so they agreed to talk.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen,” Lang said. “I… I didn’t know what I was getting myself into.”

Tony snorted. “Yeah, sorry, ignorance isn’t much of a defense. In any case, you’re small potatoes, Lang. Where are the others?”

“We left them a while ago,” Wilson replied. “I didn’t… I didn’t know about your parents, I swear. When we found out… There was… an argument.”

“That information was shared in a press conference in October,” Tony said, a hint of incredulity in his tone. “It’s February. What took you so long to turn yourselves in?”

“We didn’t know until a while ago,” Lang said.

“Excuse me? It was in all the news. Ever thought about picking up a newspaper? There’s also this thing called the internet,” Tony drawled in his most sarcastic voice. “Don’t know if you’ve heard of it, but you can find all kinds of helpful information there.”

They both looked down like chastised boys. Christ, how pathetic.

Wilson fidgeted with his cuffed hands. “Steve said… He said the news were twisting everything and that we should wait until it blew over.”

“Right, and Steve’s word is gospel. Why bother thinking when Steve can tell you what to do and what to believe, right?” Tony glared at the idiots as they continued to squirm. “For fuck’s sake, you’re adults!”

It really didn’t get any better from there. If Tony had had any doubts that Wilson and Lang were complete morons, those doubts would have been gone. They had followed Rogers like meek little puppies (or, more accurately, like suicidal lemmings), and had remained utterly ignorant of what was going on in the world. Their excuse, such as it was, was that they had been on the run, and didn’t have easy access to technology and couldn’t read the local newspapers or watch the news on TV because they didn’t speak the language; they had been hiding in Eastern European countries since their escape from the Raft.

Basically, they tried to justify, at least in part, their stupidity, which had Tony rolling his eyes. They really shouldn’t have needed to have it all spelled out for them. And, considering all they’d done, they should have made obtaining information on the fallout a priority, and not wait for it to fall on their laps.

“Look, where are the others? That’s what we want to know. And frankly, that’s the only thing you two idiots have to help yourselves.”

That, they said, they didn’t know. The best they could do was give their last known location. Unfortunately, Tony didn’t think even Rogers would be stupid enough to stay there after his buddies had deserted them.

“What about Romanoff? Was she with you?”

“No,” Wilson replied. “Clint tried to get in touch with her, but until we left he either hadn’t succeeded or she’d ignored him.”

“So it’s only Rogers, Maximoff, Barton and Barnes now.”

Wilson shook his head. “No. Barnes… he wasn’t there.”

That made Tony raise an eyebrow. “I find it hard to imagine that Rogers went anywhere without his precious Bucky.”

Wilson sighed. “He didn’t tell us where Bucky was, only that he was somewhere safe. That he was being taken care off.”

“He said there were people working on removing the triggers from his head, and when that happened we would be able to go get Barnes,” Lang added. Tony exchanged a look with Connor. That was an interesting bit of news, as it narrowed down the possibilities for where the assassin could be hiding. “I tried to ask how something like that would even be done, but he didn’t give much of an answer,” Lang continued.

“And that didn’t tell you something right there?”

Lang grimaced, as did Wilson. Yeah, idiots, the both of them.

“So you weren’t with Rogers when he made his stupid video?” Tony asked.

They shook their heads. “A week ago Clint managed to get a phone–” Wilson began.

“You mean he stole it.”

Wilson winced. “Yeah. And I searched for news about the Accords.”

“We saw the press conference first,” Lang said. “Then the last video you did, where you talked about Wanda and all.”

“And we didn’t know anything about any of that,” Wilson continued. “I swear I didn’t… I didn’t know.” There tears in his eyes now, but Tony couldn’t really muster much sympathy. Even if he hadn’t known about Rogers’s lies, he’d still supported Rogers’s decision to oppose the Accords and protect Barnes at all costs. At every point when he could have thought things through and made a better decision, he had chosen to go along with whatever Rogers said instead. He might have been deceived to an extent, but he’d still made plenty of bad choices with his eyes wide open.

Lang nodded. “There was a fight. Steve said it was all lies, but… yeah, that didn’t… that didn’t add up.” Oh, well, better late than never for them to realize that ‘things weren’t adding up’.

“And Barton? What did he think?”

Wilson shook his head again. “He took Steve’s side. He… I don’t know. He’s been acting strange since he got out of the Raft. I think maybe Wanda is messing with his mind.”

Oh, wasn’t that just convenient. Tony really hoped they weren’t about to use that as a defense, because Tony would call bullshit. “But not yours?”

“I… I don’t think so.” Well, that was something. “It’s just that… Clint was angry, irrationally so. He seemed… more and more unbalanced as time went on. I tried to talk to Steve about it, but he said Clint was just upset about being away from his family and everything.”

“The family he abandoned of his own free will, you mean,” Tony couldn’t help comment. Barton was on his shit list for the crack about Rhodey, so Tony wasn’t inclined to be nice.

“Do you think Rogers was being… messed with as well?” Connor asked, expression neutral.

Lang and Wilson looked at each other, as if they had talked about this before.

“I don’t know,” Wilson replied after a moment. “Maybe, but… he didn’t act like Barton. He was just… stubborn. But he’d been like that before Wanda showed up, so I don’t know.”

Tony nodded. He was happy to see that at least they weren’t trying to justify their behavior, and seemed willing to accept responsibility.

There wasn’t much more that could be learned from them, so Tony left Connor to arrange their transfer with the local authorities. He headed to a meeting with the Croatian president and his staff and members of the Accords Panel, where they discussed their next steps.

When he left the government building at the end of the meeting, there was a sea of press waiting outside, of course, shouting questions at him, so he stepped up to give a statement.

“I can confirm that Sam Wilson and Scott Lang are in custody, having surrendered themselves voluntarily. I don’t know what’s going to happen to them now, that’s up for other people to decide. We do not currently have a location on the other fugitives, but the investigation is ongoing, and I’m confident we’ll find them soon. They were last seen on the outskirts of Karlovac here in Croatia. Local forces as well as Counter Terrorism is conducting searches as we speak. I urge anyone who has any information to contact the police immediately. We are looking for Steve Rogers, Wanda Maximoff and Clint Barton, who we believe are still travelling together. They are considered dangerous, so please do not approach them, just call the police.”

“Will you be staying in the country until they are found?” someone asked.

“Yes. Since Rogers and Maximoff are enhanced, I’ve been asked to assist. Hopefully it won’t take long to have them in custody too.”

“Will the other Avengers come too? War Machine and Vision?”

“Vision is on his way now.” They had a headstart on the search for the rogues now, so it was deemed prudent to have a little more ‘firepower’ on their side. Barton was just a regular human, and thus any trained officer could take him down, but Maximoff and Rogers were a different story. The first was, Tony had no doubt now, a dangerous lunatic who probably wouldn’t hesitate to go all out on whoever tried to arrest her. Since Tony currently had no way of protecting himself (or anyone else) against her mind raping powers, Vision would be needed. In the months since Wanda had attacked him, he had been doing some more exploring of the alien gem in his forehead, and he believed himself to be immune to her powers. Once she had been subdued, the power-supressing collar seemed to be enough to hold her, at least temporarily. A more permanent solution would have to be found, but it would be better to have her convicted first, lest anyone argue about human rights violations. Rogers wasn’t as dangerous, but he could mow down regular officers, as had already been proven in Bucharest. If Rogers thought he’s had an easy win in Siberia, he was in for a big surprise when it came time for round two. Tony wasn’t going to hold back this time.

“Have you and the task force team been authorized to use lethal force to apprehend them?”

“Our goal is to capture, not kill. However, you never know what will be necessary to protect the public, which is our priority.”

After answering a few more questions, Tony managed to escape to the hotel room the Accords Panel had booked for him. He called Pepper and Rhodey to update them, then took a shower and ordered some food – he was starving.

“Fri, how are things on social media after this?”

“Lots of people are happy at least some of the ExVengers have been caught. Still a lot of people angry with Rogers and demanding his and Maximoff’s heads on a platter.”

“Metaphorically speaking, I hope.”

“Hard to say, Boss. I think some people might mean it a bit more literally.” Friday didn’t sound at all sorry about that and, truthfully, Tony wasn’t either. So long as no one attempted an actual assassination, it wasn’t his problem. “There’s also a lot of people wanting some more specific comments from you. They’re asking if they’ll be a new video soon about this. Oh, and there are people worried about you, having to confront the people who hurt you, particularly given Maximoff’s mind control powers. People want you to take care of yourself and wish you luck.”

“Aw, that’s nice.”

Room service arrived and Tony ate as he watched CNN stretched out on the bed. One of the segments was about how social media was reacting to Wilson and Lang’s arrest, as well as the overall effect of the videos (Tony’s and Rogers’) on the public.

“Tony Stark has become an internet phenomenon, in addition to being a superhero celebrity, since he posted his first video in October, following the break-up of the Avengers,” the journalist said. “Since then, he has garnered more and more followers and supporters, and his YouTube channel has more than 500 thousand subscribers. His last video, the one where he watched Steve Rogers’s video and responded to it, has had more than 11 billion views – a world record –, and that number continues to grow. With the announcement that Rogers and the rest of the fugitive former Avengers might soon be arrested as well, expectation is high about what Tony Stark is going to say on the matter.”

“That’s right, Kathy,” another presenter said. “Even though Stark made an official statement earlier today, the public is still eager for the video.”

“It’s a different tone, Frank,” Kathy continued. “There is no denying that Tony Stark is a charismatic figure and has always been, but the videos are different. We’re seeing a new side of Tony Stark in those. A more relaxed and sincere side. A more human side. And people are loving that. There’s also more interaction with the audience. He responds to questions and addresses issues that come up, which makes the public feel closer to him.”

“It’s certainly excellent PR,” Frank said. “He’s never been more popular.”

Kathy nodded. “I don’t think it’s just PR, though. It doesn’t hurt, of course, especially in the aftermath of the whole Avengers mess, but it seems genuine too. I think it goes back to the point of transparency that he’s mentioned many times. It’s easier to trust that the Avengers will defend us if we can talk to them, even if indirectly like this. I certainly hope that we’ll hear from the others at some point. Not necessarily through social media, but somehow.”

“That’s a good point,” Frank agreed. “Rogers was only known through comics and war time propaganda, and that was obviously not an accurate representation of the man. The idealized version of Captain America and the real flesh and blood Steve Rogers seem worlds apart.”

“Exactly,” Kathy said. “Since he’s been back, Rogers never made any effort to connect with the public – or, it seems, with anything else in this time. And that became a huge problem for him and for everyone else.”

“And that was even before the disaster of his video. Now things are even worse for him and the Avengers who sided with him.”

“Indeed,” Kathy agreed. “That was… frankly terrifying. No facts, no apologies, just wild accusations and pitiful excuses. Still, we’ll have to wait for the trial to see how this story will ultimately end.”

“Well, we’ll be looking forward to when the man is actually arrested.” Frank went on to talk about other news and Tony turned off the TV.

It really was amazing how regular media seemed to like him so much more these days. There had been very few truly critical remarks since the end of the Civil War. And, despite what Rogers no doubt believed, Tony hadn’t bribed anyone for that. He’d never done that, as a matter of fact – which Rogers would have realized if he had half a brain; after all, there had never been a shortage of negative comments and scandals about Tony in the press. Tony hadn’t set out to win over the public like this, but he couldn’t deny that it was nice.

He picked up his phone and started recording.

“Hey, guys. This is just a short update on the situation, because I know you’ve been wondering. I’m in Zagreb now, at a hotel, waiting for news about Rogers, Maximoff and Barton. I’d like to thank everyone for their continuous support. I’m honestly not worried about seeing Rogers and Maximoff again. I’m not afraid of them. This is a fight they will have no chance of winning no matter how invincible they think they are. Justice will be done in the end, I’m sure.

“Today I talked to Wilson and Lang about their role in this whole mess, and why they did the things they did. Their answer was, basically, that they decided to let Rogers do all the thinking for them. They went along with Rogers’s plan because they trusted him and believed he was doing the right thing. And I can understand that, to an extent. After all, I’ve been deceived by people I trusted too. But I think there’s a difference between someone actively lying to you about something, and just not bothering to think about what _you_ are doing.

“So here’s the moral of today’s story, boys and girls: think. Don’t accept what people tell you without any reflection. Maybe they’re lying, or maybe they’re just misinformed. In any case, it’s your responsibility to check facts, to consider the possible consequences of your actions. If you aren’t sure about something, speak up. Ask questions, look for a difference source of information. And if the other person refuses to answer you, or dismisses your concerns with a ‘I know best’ attitude, that’s a red flag right there. People can have different opinions, sure, but healthy debate is a good thing. People should have arguments to back up their claims, and not just repeat the same empty rhetoric of ‘I’m right because I know what I’m talking about’. Wilson and Lang could have save themselves a lot of trouble if they’d done those things. Because in the end, _you_ are responsible for your actions.”

Tony paused, then huffed out a laugh. “That got a little preachy, sorry. It’s still an important life lesson, though, guys.” Since it seemed that people were taking him as a role model these days, he might as well use it wisely. “Hope you’re all well and I’ll see you all soon.”

He ended the video, told Friday to post it and got ready for bed. It had been a long day and he could do with some rest.

With luck, this whole thing would be over soon and Tony would be able to go back to his life without wasting a single more moment on Rogers and his buddies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Sorry for the cliffie. Steve, Wanda and Barton being caught will be a different story. Hope you liked it anyway.


End file.
